Armed with Science , a U.S. Defense Department site, runs a conversation with Becky Richards, NSA’s new Civil Liberties and Privacy Officer.

Says Richards: "My job is to advise the director, as well as the entire agency, on how to build privacy and civil liberties considerations into all that NSA does. Now, it’s a new position at NSA, but throughout the federal government there are a number of civil liberties and privacy officer positions, so the concept is not unusual or new.”